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Dr. Navitsky, Board Certified Pediatrician

Category: Pediatrics

Satisfied Customers: 1036

Experience: US Pediatrician licensed in California living abroad.

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I have a cold and have lost my voice. Some mucus not a lot.

Resolved Question:

I have a cold and have lost my voice. Some mucus not a lot. No fever, no sore throat, or ear or body aches. I have tried tea with lemon and honey am taking mucines for 24 hours now every 4 hours but no results. Any suggestions.

Hi there may I ask how old you are? I am a pediatrician but probably can help you anyway if you are a adult and don't want to wait.

Customer:

I am 54

Jnavits12 :

So you may either relist or continue talking with me which ever you prefer. Colds are a universal thing regardless of age.

Customer:

I'm fine talking with you..:-)

Jnavits12 :

Ok so something I often don't have to ask kids...do you smoke? Are you otherwise healthy (asthma, and other chronic health problems..)

Customer:

Do not smoke, and am healthy. I was home last weekend visiting with my niece and nephew and they seemed to have some kind of colds. This started on Tuesday with the regular cold symptoms, running nose, some sneezing...and I was feeling fine accept I started losing my voice on Friday night.

Jnavits12 :

So you probably caught what they had (a hazard of interacting with kids!) hope you had a good visit anyway. So the fact that you lost your voice only shows that you have inflamation at the level of your voicebox or larynx, commonly known as laryngitis. It is almost universally viral and does not require any antibiotics to make you better. I'm glad you don't smoke! There are some things that you can do however while you rest your voice for a few days to feel better.

Customer:

The visit was great...but I'm concerned about not being able to talk...I sound like Miss Piggy..at best

Jnavits12 :

It should come back in a few days. As you are lucky and are not having pain in your throat you really don't have to do anything. No over the counter cold preparation has ever been shown to make people better faster and thus I do not recommend them. Many times the side effects are not worth the lack of benefit they provide....If you really need to talk for work and can't take a break from using your voice (which is what will help the most) then you can take an antiinflamatory like ibuprofen 400 mg every 6 hours or so to try cut the inflammation at the level of the voice box.

Jnavits12 :

You can also send your niece and nephew some funny messages as they would get a kick out of "the voice"!

Jnavits12 :

Tea with honey and lemon is also soothing but really won't cure you faster. Plenty of rest, sleep, keeping up on the fluids and voice rest is what you should be doing to get better as fast as possible.

Customer:

So Ibuprofen is best...antibiotics will not help then?

Jnavits12 :

The ibuprofen is of course if you don't have any contraindication to taking it (kidney issues...), and if you are taking it for the antinflammatory effects really keeping up a level in your blood is what works, you may want to take it with food or at least milk to avoid stomach upset. No sorry antibiotics do not treat laryngitis unfortunately.

Customer:

Okay then...I sometimes get this with a cold...over the years...but never this severe...I will do as you have suggested...

Jnavits12 :

If you had a strep infection of course with a really red throat that tracked down into the larynx you would benefit from antibiotics but this causes pain, and fever which you don't have. I hope you feel better soon! If you feel that this was helpful please click on the accept button. Consider a flu shot this season to avoid further strong viruses. Good Luck!

Customer:

Can you tell me one last thing...why does having a cold with some mucus always manifest with me losing my voice somewhat?

Jnavits12 :

Many times the mucus travels down the back of your throat and irritates it and the tissues below until it ends up in your esophagus and you swallow it. This is also why people with allergies are hoarse....Everybody has their own classic manifestations of cold symptoms that really just depend on how your body works. If your symptoms go away after the cold clears it is unlikely to be anyting serious as if this were the case you would have symptoms even without infection.

Customer:

Thanks much...I recall the fluid traveling down the back of my throat but being able to do nothing about it.

Jnavits12 :

That's where all the attempts at decongestants you can shop for in the pharmacy...none are really effective! The honey will help coat the throat, (I use it straight up in teaspoon format as it also stops cough a bit!)

Customer:

That is what is strange no pain, no cough...sneezing and I have no voice...this has been very helpful I will start the ibuprofen

I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.

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